Ballock Dagger pics and info needed -- myArmoury.com

Damien Bates

hi guys,

I've been searching this forum and net for the past week trying to find some more info on this Ballock dagger. I've contacted Metropolitan Museum (mentioned in another thread) but it's not in their collection.

1. I'm trying to work out if the tang is peened - doesn't look to be, but another angle would confirm it.
2. Type of wood for the handle
3. If the blade is Quadrangular at the tip (as there is a spine facing upwards)
4. Dimensions
5. Time period

and more pictures would be good.

Etienne Hamel · Posted: Wed 08 Jul, 2009 6:13 am Post subject:

it seems like the blade is a stilleto one maybe triangular at the tip and hexagonal for the rest? it is difficult to see in this picture as for the wood i did some research and the name of the wood used on this is dudgeon wood or boxwood.

Justin King · Industry Professional

This particular picture is hard to make out. There are a few similar ballock daggers/ blades shown in the Spotlight Article, the others are described as being triangular with a re-inforced point. The re-inforced point actually seems to transition to a thick diamond-section but it's hard to tell for sure from the pictures. This one does look like it might be a different section than triangular near the hilt but the picture dosen't offer much more than that.
This dagger is pictured in a couple of books I have but is no further information is given and the pictures are of no better quality so I can't add more unfortunately.

Damien Bates · Posted: Thu 09 Jul, 2009 10:06 pm Post subject:

I appreciate your help, will keep searchi g.

Danny Grigg · Posted: Fri 10 Jul, 2009 9:33 pm Post subject:

See attached pic from the book "Daggers and Fighting Knives of the Western World by Harold L. Peterson".

I'm afraid this is about the best quality picture I can post.
Due to the grainy black and white pic from the book, it stares to get blurry at larger sizes using a scanner.

There might be other pictures and information about this particular Dagger in the following book:

Catalogue of European Daggers by Bashford Dean
Publisher: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1929

Maybe someone on the forum has a copy (Nathan or Chad perhaps)?

I hope this helps.

Danny

Chad Arnow · myArmoury Team

Chad Arnow · myArmoury Team

Here's a quillon dagger with a similar blade.